Qualified drivers at London Midland and Chiltern Railways

[Mix107]

Looking at applying to either of these TOCS possibly for a relocation in the near future. Can any existing drivers give me the low down on salary, Sundays in/out the working week, general shift patterns, routes and traction signed at London Midland Bletchley, Coventry and Birmingham depots. For Chiltern Railways at their Birmingham Moor Street depot.

Thanks for any help or info given in advance.

Regards

 

[TDK]

Looking at applying to either of these TOCS possibly for a relocation in the near future. Can any existing drivers give me the low down on salary, Sundays in/out the working week, general shift patterns, routes and traction signed at London Midland Bletchley, Coventry and Birmingham depots. For Chiltern Railways at their Birmingham Moor Street depot.

Thanks for any help or info given in advance.

Regards

Moor Street sign Kidderminster to London, Hatton to Stratford - upon - Avon, Neasden Junction to Aylesbury via the Met line and Princes Risborough to Aylesbury. Sundays are committed but at Moor Street are easy to ditch. I believe the Salary is about £47K. Shift patters are variable and not that good to be fair.

Traction at Moor Street is class 165, 168 and class 67/DVT

I would go for Chiltern rather than LM as it is a much better company to work for and the drivers at Moor Street are the best I have worked with.

 

[Mix107]

Thanks for the info TDK... Seems a varied amount of routes and traction then. Chiltern do seem a good company to work for?

Do you know if they do a 4/5day week and is it 24h sign on inc nights?

Any idea how much qualified experience Chiltern or London Midland require?

Thanks

 

[Class172]

Moor Street sign Kidderminster to London, Hatton to Stratford - upon - Avon, Neasden Junction to Aylesbury via the Met line and Princes Risborough to Aylesbury. Sundays are committed but at Moor Street are easy to ditch.

I never would've thought that much was signed: I expected the first two, not nearly the whole network!

 

[TDK]

I never would've thought that much was signed: I expected the first two, not nearly the whole network!

That is what the drivers at Moor Street sign. I worked there for 2 years as a driver.
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Thanks for the info TDK... Seems a varied amount of routes and traction then. Chiltern do seem a good company to work for?

Do you know if they do a 4/5day week and is it 24h sign on inc nights?

Any idea how much qualified experience Chiltern or London Midland require?

Thanks

They have a non conformist roster at Moor Street, it is about 4.5 days a week on average. You get a full week off every now and then, no starter link and at last count I believe just under 30 drivers in the link. You have or had one night shift and only one start before 5.00am and that is only on one day in the week, I think on a Monday. You have a 10 hour cover turn at 5.00am. The signing on procedure is remote by contacting control who are working 24 hours a day.

Chiltern were a good company to work for but I have heard that the company has changed a bit since Adrian Shooter retired and Arriva are now at the helm, however I would certainly pick Chiltern over LM if I had the choice.

 

[Mix107]

Thanks for the info TDK, really helpful... Only a small depot then with 30 drivers?

 

[Cherry_Picker]

There are currently 36 drivers based at Moor Street and there are whispers of upping the compliment to 38. Chiltern are a great company to work for too, I firmly believe the people who think that it has changed for the worse since Arriva took over from Shooter are being melodramatic. TDK can probably say himself that the only reasons people tend to leave for are geographical ones. I honestly can't remember the last time we lost a driver to New Street or Snow Hill. One bloke left Aylesbury to go to Bletchley a couple of years ago and came back within 12 months.

 

[Mr Pickle]

LM Snow Hill is a good depot, around 30 drivers with interesting routes, diesel traction.
LM New Street is obviously much larger, some longer distance work in the top links but a lot of tedious cross city driving too. Mostly overhead AC traction.

 

[Mix107]

Thanks for the info so far. What are the roster/shift patterns like at LM Snow Hill and New Street? Same pay/conditions?

Also any info on numbers that work at Coventry and roster/shifts there please?

 

[Mr Pickle]

I was based at both New Street and Snow Hill with LM, one year at each.

The shifts at New Street have earlier starts and later finishes, and to get from the staff car park you either have to walk or get a staff shuttle car.

I would recommend Snow Hill depot, it is a more close knit depot, and car parking is on site.
The work is good, covering Stratford upon Avon, Leamington Spa and Great Malvern.

Given the choice I would take Snow Hill in preference to New Street.

 

[Mix107]

Any idea what the driver numbers are at Snow Hill and New Street? What traction and routes do both sign, much variety in each location? Any idea on all the same Q's regarding Coventry depot?

 

[Class172]

I'm not certain but through deduction I'd say the Snow Hill crews sign only 172s, with the non-172 (LM) duties on the Snow Hill lines covered by Worcester crews, who themselves have quite varied duties — someone from the depot will know better than me obviously.

 

[Mix107]

Ok thanks for the info...

 

[sprinterguy]

I'm not certain but through deduction I'd say the Snow Hill crews sign only 172s, with the non-172 (LM) duties on the Snow Hill lines covered by Worcester crews, who themselves have quite varied duties — someone from the depot will know better than me obviously.

You are correct: Snow Hill men only sign the 172s used on the Snow Hill local services - The 153 and 170 workings on the Snow Hills are handled by Worcester drivers.

 

[Mix107]

Any idea what Coventry sign and what roster and depot is like there anyone?

 

[Sir Topham Hat]

LM basic salary will be £47 as from 31 Dec, 4 day week and non-committed Sundays. New St men do a lot of cross city high intensity work and also Liverpool and Coventry if you're in the higher links.

 

[the sniper]

LM basic salary will be £47 as from 31 Dec, 4 day week and non-committed Sundays. New St men do a lot of cross city high intensity work and also Liverpool and Coventry if you're in the higher links.

New drivers sign Cross City, Walsall - Wolverhampton, Birmingham International and I believe Soho East Jct to Perry Barr West Jct. You'd only sign 323s at first. After a few years you could sign Rugeley & the diesels (170 & 153), longer term 350s and Liverpool/Northampton. In a few years time though once you're in a position to sign Liverpool/Northampton, they might be removed from the depot for the next franchise...

 

[Mix107]

Is the 47k across all depots I.e New Street, Snow hill and Coventry? Is there a new driver wage when starting London Midland and is the 4 day week, Sun out across all depots please? Any idea which routes/traction Coventry sign? Many links there?

 

[Kyle0115]

As far as I'm aware it's £47k at all Lm depots. Cov drivers will sign 350's and 153's for the Nuneaton service but not sure if they sign 323's.